Collingwood vice-captain Taylor Adams opens up on struggles faced by young players

COLLINGWOOD vice-captain Taylor Adams has opened up on the difficulties of young players being drafted interstate, saying he wanted to leave GWS “within the first six months”.

COLLINGWOOD vice-captain Taylor Adams has opened up on the difficulties of young players being drafted interstate, saying he wanted to leave Greater Western Sydney “within the first six months”.

Adams, who grew up in Mount Duneed near Torquay, said he was never “really happy” at the Giants after being drafted there and felt “withdrawn” from life at home which created some “anxious times”.

Drafted with Pick 13 in the 2011 national draft, Adams played out his initial two-year contract with the Giants before requesting a trade home to Victoria and joining the Magpies.

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“I started thinking about leaving the Giants really early into my first contract, so probably within the first six months because I wasn’t really happy there,” Adams said.

A fresh-faced Taylor Adams, pictured during his first year with Greater Western Sydney in 2012.

“My mental state wasn’t where I thought it should have been to be playing professional football and there was definitely some anxious times.

“There was a lot of doubting, a lot of self-doubt that I was going through and I feel like I was probably a little bit withdrawn from the fact I’d say ‘no’ to dinners and catching up with mates. Even when I was with them I was probably withdrawn. I was still worried about what was happening (at home).

“Leading up to the final decision I was really nervous to tell Leon (Cameron) and the coaching staff but also all the players and my friends that I’d made up there.”

Taylor Adams loves life at the Pies. Pic: Michael Klein

Speaking as part of the AFL Players Association’s Courageous Conversations series which aims to shed light on mental health, Adams said Cameron was “a little bit surprised” at the decision which “made it all the more difficult to leave”.

Adams said the stigma around asking for help being seen as a “weakness” needed to change and the support of his manager, family and friends had got him through his time in Sydney.

“I think young men are more inclined to bottle things up and think that we can handle everything by ourselves and it’s almost seen as weak to speak up,” he said.

“I couldn’t be more passionate about that being the complete opposite to what the truth is.”

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Originally published as Collingwood vice-captain Taylor Adams opens up on struggles faced by young players